Russian air
strikes in Syria's Latakia province killed a rebel commander and four
other fighters from a group armed by President Bashar al-Assad's foreign
enemies, a spokesman for the group said on Tuesday.The
attack on Monday evening marked the third time Russian war planes have
targeted the First Coastal Division group since Moscow began its air
strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad on Sept. 30, the group's
spokesman Fadi Ahmad said.He said
a further 15 civilians had been killed in the air strike in Jabal
Akrad, a rural, mountainous area in the province. The Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights earlier put the death toll at 45 rebels and civilians.The
First Coastal Division is one of several groups that have received
foreign military support including U.S.-made anti-tank missiles, the
most potent weapon in the rebels' arsenal. The
group, which fights under the umbrella of the "Free Syrian Army",
confirmed the death of its chief of staff, Basil Zamo, formerly a
captain in the Syrian military.Ahmad
said a fighter trained in the use of the anti-tank TOW missiles had
also been killed. The Russian jets had struck one of the group's
headquarters, and then struck the same target again after rescue workers
had arrived on the scene.